1956 Bel Air Restoration - From the Ground Up

Here at Classic Industries, we love to see what customers can do with the restoration parts we offer. Sometimes, they simply put the finishing touches on project vehicles that are nearly complete—other times, they rebuild classic cars from the ground up using parts from our catalogs. Daniel Brito, of Montebello, California, falls into the second category. His stunning 1956 Bel Air started out as a $500 husk of its former glory, but he restored the car over the last 15 years, leaving it in the beautiful condition seen here.

Daniel, a retired engineer, is no stranger to restoration, already owning a similarly-restored 1955 Bel Air. That's a good thing, too, because this '56 was a major undertaking. It underwent a full frame-off restoration, and Daniel tells us it now features "almost 100% new parts". One look at the car, and you can see what he means—it really does look brand-new.

The parts Daniel put into this '56 are all top-shelf, and no expense was spared. The powertrain consists of a crate 350ci V8 from the Classic Industries catalog, mated to a 700R4 automatic transmission, and a 4.11 rear end with Positraction.

The exterior of the car has been painted in vibrant blue and crisp white. It rides on lowered suspension and chrome American Racing wheels that perfectly match the sparkling bumpers and trim.

Now that Daniel has completed his 1955 and 1956 Bel Air restoration projects, his next project will be—you guessed it—a 1957 Bel Air. We're looking forward to seeing the results once he completes the trifecta. If it's anywhere near as nice as this '56, it'll definitely be a sight to behold.

If you've got a classic tri-five Chevy, Classic Industries has all the parts you need to restore it—even if it's a $500 shell like Daniel's used to be. Click the button below for a free restoration parts catalog.

A little about Classic

Recognized as the undisputed leader of the Restoration Parts industry, Classic Industries is one of the largest and respected distributors of reproduction, performance and original GM and MOPAR parts and accessories in the industry. Located in Huntington Beach, California, Classic Industries has provided over 1,000,000 customers with parts and accessories they've needed to restore their vehicles for over four decades.